Stay
by Skanky Frankie
Summary: Edward returns to his family's house in small town, Michigan, to find Bella Swan skinny dipping off his dock... Lemons to come, BxE


Chapter 1

Color the coast with your smile

its the most genuine thing I've ever seen

I was so lost, but now I believe

- "Carry this Picture," Dashboard Confessional

She was beautiful. In the moonlight, the silver glinted off her hair, and he wasn't sure if it was specifically brown or red - the hues were hard to pick apart in such dark light. The filmy shirt she wore, something called a peasant top, or so Alice had told him during one of her many revisions to her fashion line, which she dragged him to endlessly, was practically see through in this light - he could see the slope of her back, how her waist nipped in and the slight flair of her hips. Her long legs were slender, and she was barefoot at the end of his family's dock. Obviously thinking she was alone. Edward Cullen had never witnessed such sights of beauty in his life.

So maybe he had. He had many girlfriends, most of them models or actresses he picked up whilst hanging out with his sisters. But that didn't cancel out the fact that this girl, though he couldn't even make out her facial features due to the fact that it was nearly midnight, and the only light was from the full moon overhead, but he had never witnessed such a beautiful, magnificently simple, achingly sensual moment in all of his life. He was twenty two, he had been with plenty of women, but nothing... Nothing held a flame to something like this.

But then she started to take off her clothes, and he couldn't help but feel his stomach tighten with anticipation.

He watched her hair tumble down her back, which was silvery-pale in the moonlight. He watched her supple hips wiggle as she pulled off her shorts, dragging her underwear along the way, and then she was naked. Edward was gasping for breath from his spot in the dining room. The glass French doors were shut, but he was standing there, fogging and smudging up the glass as he stared like some perverted voyeur at the girl on the dock.

What the hell was he thinking? And why the hell was there some naked girl using his family's property as her private nude beach?

He took a deep breath before flinging open the door. He was still carrying a mug of coffee - decaff, because he was an insomniac - which was steaming even in the summer heat. Though it was late and the sun had been down for hours, it was still outrageously warm - probably eighty degrees - and sticky with humidity. He raked his free hand through his messy bronze locks, knowing that he was going to appear like a creepy old man to this young naked girl.

Young, beautifully naked, girl.

The sound of her feet sloshing through the waves only made his heart beat faster. It had been years since he made his way onto the sun-bleached dock, though it still felt sturdy under his bare feet. It had also been years since he had seen the stars, dotting the sky so thoroughly, like this. From the city, he could only see a handful. Now, it was unreal.

Clearing his throat, Edward decided that it was now or never. "Hey! Hey!"

Like a deer in headlights, the girl froze. She spun to face him, her eyes wide as saucers, and her mouth hung open with shock. "W-w-what are - who?" she cried, treading water and glaring at him. "This is private property! What are you doing here?!" Finally, he thought with an inward chuckle, she made a sensible sentence. Aside from the fact that she was trespassing on _his_ private property, that is.

"I know. I should be asking you the same question," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. He was enjoying the situation far too much, he realized. It had been far too long since something like this had put a smile on his face. At twenty two, he was becoming a grumpy old man, which was why he had come to Lake Summerby in the first place. Not because he wanted to have a peaceful getaway, where he could write music and think and contemplate his life, like his girlfriend and the majority of his family thought. No, he was there because he didn't want to be bothered by those specific people. The last place anyone would think to look for him would be here, and that was why he chose it.

"This place has been abandoned for years. Who are you? Some illegal squatter?" the girl asked, having the gall to be accusing. Edward chuckled, out loud this time.

"No. I'm Edward Cullen. I live here."

With a gasp, the girl ducked under the water, which was dark and murkey, so Edward couldn't see where she went. He knew, logistically, she couldn't stay down there forever, so he waited. He toed her clothes to the edge of the dock, so they would be readily available, and stepped back a few feet to allow her some modesty.

With a small splash, Edward heard her resurface. Her dark hair was plastered to her cheeks and neck, coiling around her collarbones remarkabley. He hated to even think it, but Edward was sure that this image of her, this picture of angelic perfection, would come up later that night in his most intimate of moments with himself. He was a lecher.

"Do you mind?" she asked, arching an eyebrow delicately.

Edward opened his arms obligingly, turning his back to her. He couldn't help the dopey smile plastered on his face. Where else did this kind of thing happen? Not in LA, nor New York. It was some kind of hillbilly, backwoods kind of thing. It was quaint. Some kind of weird thing. He had spent too much time in the big city, and this was just the kind of strange little event that he needed to get his mind off things. Even though he was feeling like a perve, standing there with his back turned while she dressed. Just the thought of the droplets of water racing rivers down her chest, the valley between her breasts... Down that delicious look back of hers...

"Ok, you can turn around now." He did so, fully prepared to give her a stern talking to, but he nearly choked on his words. That peasant top thing he was thinking about earlier, well, it was clinging to her wet skin, and her body was completely visible to his eyes. The curve of her breasts, her nipples defined against the wet material. He gulped down a breath of air, smelly of lake and slightly of apples, and he tried to get his heartbeat to calm down.

"What - just _what_ in the hell do you think you're doing here?" he finally managed to ask. She was gazing at him, defiantly, like she had every right in the world to be standing there, shivering and practically naked before him like a goddammed sign from the heavens, sent to destroy him.

"I've come here to swim at night for the past six years," she said, shrugging lightly. She pulled her hair into a sort of ponytail, draping it over one shoulder. She was striking, and Edward could hardly breathe while looking at her. Her eyes were dark, a smart brown color that seemed deep and endless. Her lips were full, pink, and just begging for him to smash his lips against. "No one has been here in all those years... I thought it was just abandoned."

"Well you're wrong," Edward replied, his voice cracking with the amount of restraint he was using. "I'm here now. And I would really appreciate it if you could just... not..." He waved his hands up and down, trying to tear his eyes away from her figure. It was impossible. Long, smooth legs, the curve of her hips in the jean shorts that clung to her curves. She was too much. "Please," he said, begging.

"I'm - I'm sorry," she said, sounding startled. "I didn't mean to - upset you... I -"

"Just go. Please," Edward said, nearly shaking with emotion. He wanted her, truly wanted her, but he could tell by the way she was gazing at him, through thickly lashed eyelids, innocently, that she had no idea what she was doing to him.

"I'm sorry," she said, and he realized that he was making her cry. Sighing, he shook his head and turned, stalking back up to the hulking, monster of a house in the distance. Up the sloping backyard, then slamming the door shut behind him.

He locked himself in, stomped up the stairs, slopping coffee over the side of his mug ignorantly. He couldn't understand himself - he was fiery with anger, shaking with emotion. His hands were trembling as he grasped the edge of the porcelain sink in the bathroom, hunched over the white. He had just made some poor girl cry, and for what? Using his dock to swim at night? Groaning, he glared at his reflection in the mirror. What was wrong with him?

***

Bella was sitting in the front seat of some broken down car, feet propped on the dashboard. There were no doors, at least not connected to the actual car, and her best friend and greasey monkey, Jacob Black, was under the hood. She could hear him humming under his breath as he worked, and she smiled to herself. Jake was a great guy - the best friend a girl could ask for. He worked while she read, and they got on perfectly. He wasn't much of a talker, either, and when the silence got too much, they would flip on the radio and argue over stations.

Even though she was trying to lose herself in the pages of _Pride and Prejudice_, it was eluding her. The only thing she could think about was that guy last night, Edward Cullen. It had been years and years since the Cullen place had been inhabited, and she had seen the sheets covering looming pieces of furniture through the smudged glass windows. It was a mansion, gray slate and brick, and it was bigger than her father's mock-barn. The Flavor Fruit Farm was their main source of income, and it was a seasonal thing. A bakery and orchard, which served quaint old tradition for the Lake Summerby community, and surrounding communities, for years.

They were not well off, not by any means, Charlie and she, but they got on well enough. The orchard was good enough business, and what they brought in during the summer and autumn was enough to get by during the winter. She even had her own car, a big monster of a truck that was older than her father and stronger than an ox. It was big, and safe, and Jake had put the motor together, so it was just as reliable as something brand new. If not more.

Regardless, Bella couldn't even count the amount of times she had raced barefoot through the orchard, cutting through the path she had beaten so long ago that it survived the harsh, snowy winters. The sun-warmed dock beneath her feet, the dangling rope that was tied a tree with the perfect limb stretching across the lake. Since she was a kid, thats how long she had been sneaking over there. And the only other person that had ever come with her was Jake, so it wasn't like she was inviting everyone in the world to take advantage of the abandoned property. So why was he so mad?

Blushing to the roots of her dark auburn hair, Bella couldn't help but wonder at what he was thinking. Was he mad because she was naked? He certainly hadn't been able to look at her - or look away from her. She didn't know whether she was more embarassed because the guy had seen her practically naked, or whether she enjoyed the fact that he was half-burning holes in her shirt and half looking disgusted.

She was _so_ messed up.

"Bells," Jake said, suddenly appearing next to her. He was so much taller than she was, Bella noted with irritation. He gazed down at her, shirtless and tan and muscled as always, grinning. "What are you thinking about? You look like a tomato."

"Thanks," she retorted, sarcastic. "I - well..."

"Come on. Since when did you keep things secret from me? Your best friend?" Jake nudged her with his knee, which hit her shoulder. He was far too large.

Sighing, Bella rolled her big brown eyes. Sometimes, she wondered why she was still friends with him, after so long. Yeah, their parents were friends, and for the most part, they got along really well. But sometimes he was just so irritating and pushy that she couldn't stand it. He thought he knew her so well...

"Last night I went swimming at the Cullens place. And I got caught," she said, blushing as she admitted it.

"No way! Someone is staying there now?" Jake looked disappointed. It was the closest access to the lake the two had, and also it was the best spot. They didn't have to worry about anyone else sharing their beach, and it was at a quiet, private end of the lake where boats rarely roamed. Plus, it was perfectly sandy, a gradual slope to deeper waters, and it had the rope-swing.

"Yeah. Edward Cullen. And he caught me swimming there last night... You know. _Sans clothes_." Bella couldn't even look Jake, her best friend since they were in _diapers_ together, in the eyes while saying that. She peeked at him through her lashes, managing to watch his face contort from surprise, shock, and then finally anger.

"That perve!" he cried. "I'm going to beat the crap out of him!"

"Jake, it was my fault - I was on his property, he didn't even know I was naked, not at first -"

It didn't matter what she said, he was fuming. She bit her lip, watching him slam things around for a few moments. He was almost like an older brother, with how protective he was. Sighing, she let him slam stuff around for a few more moments, before starting again. "He didn't try anything, Jake - he wouldn't even look at me... Well, he did, but he looked more disgusted than anything... And really, it was my fault. I never skinny dip, at least not that often... Just the off hand chance..."

"I really doubt he thought you were disgusting, Bells," Jake replied, rolling his eyes. Bella shrugged. Jake was quiet a few more moments, before he started chuckling. "You must have been scared as hell, thinking you were alone like that."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Leave it to you, Jake." She glared back at the pages of her back, wondering if she would ever see the mysterious and confusing Edward Cullen again. She hated to admit that he was the most handsome guy she had ever seen, his mess of strange, bronze colored hair and pale skin. He looked sleep deprived, though still incredibly handsome and gorgeous. It made her stomach flutter with anxiety, excitement. Something she had never felt before, not about a _guy_ at least. Maybe when the newest Harry Potter came out, but that was it.

Sighing, she dog-eared the page of her book, shut it with a little popping noise. She tossed it on the seat beside her, grabbing her black-framed sunglasses off the dashboard. "I'm going to head out," she said, pulling herself out of the gutted car. Jake frowned, disappointed, but didn't say anything to stop her. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out, barefoot down the side of the dirt road. Lake Summerby was a sleepy, summer community that double in population during the summer months. When it was warm, she could always manage to walk, which she liked. Jake lived just a mile down the road, and the walk was nice. Under a thick canopy of leaves, the only thing she had to worry about was broken glass on the side of the road, or the random obnoxious cat-calls from summer guys cruising by in their expensive convertibles. That wasn't the case today, and she hit the edge of the orchard and started to run.

_Forget him_, she told herself, thinking about Edward Cullen. _Just forget him._

***

"Honestly, Edward, I don't know why you think sending yourself to recluse county is necessary... I mean, you're missing the parties in the Hamptons, its amazing. You should have seen..." He stopped listening, zoned out, staring at the end of the dock. How was it that he had only last night seen the gorgeous figure at the end of it, only to manage to chase her off so meanly? He couldn't think of much else, so when Tanya started whining, he had to make himself pay attention. She was on the other end of the phone, miles and miles and states away, but she could always tell when he wasn't paying attention to her.

"Listen, Tan," he said, trying to sound nice and affectionate, like he still loved her. "I have to go, sweetheart. I have someone here to put in internet," he lied smoothly. He was talented in that art.

"Fine, Edward. But call me as soon as they leave." She hung up without any sort of formality, and he had to chuckle. Alone again, with his thoughts and the haunting image of the girl. Sitting on the back padio with a newspaper before him, the radio blasting inside the house.

What was it about her? He couldn't place a finger on it, exactly, but it was definitely something. He stared out at dock again, seeing her slender frame, the long legs dripping from the lake...

He had to blink a few times, but was shocked that he wasn't just reimagining her standing there. She was _there_. Again. In broad, afternoon daylight, less than twenty four hours later. She had to be mentally challenged. Leave it to him, fall in love with some poor retarded girl that didn't know better. Sighing, he didn't know whether or not to approach her or simply ignore her.

"Hey!" she called over her shoulder, making him choke on a sip of iced tea. "Join me?"

He hesitated, but not for long. She was wearing clothes this time, a bathing suit at least, though it looked a bit scant, but he wasn't about to turn down this oppurtunity. Stripping out of his clothes, he left on his boxers, and as he raced down the manicured lawns of his family home, he couldn't believe his luck. She dove in first, leaving a slight splash behind her, and he did the same.

When they surfaced, he whipped his head back, making his bronze hair crazy. She giggled, and he grinned in response.

Whoever she was, well... She definitely had some sort of messed up courage. He could appreciate that.

"Whats your name?" he asked, treading water a foot or so away from her.

"Bella Swan," she said, leaning back, floating. Whoever invented that particular bikini she wore, which was blood red and nothing more than strategically placed triangles and bits of string, was a fucking genius. Edward could feel himself stirring beneath the water, and was thankful of that fact to block his... attraction.

"Why'd you come back?"

She floated for a few more moments, and he watched the rise and fall of her chest as water lapped at her flesh. Straightening up, she shrugged. "I don't know."

Edward nodded. That was good enough for him. "Listen, I'm sorry about last night -"

"Lets just forget it," she suggested. "I mean, lets just pretend that it never happened, and we'll have a fresh start. Like we just met. Or no," she said, shaking her head. "Like we've known each other forever, and we're great friends."

Edward grinned crookedly. "I don't think that will work," he said skeptically.

"Why?"

"Theres too much about you I don't know. For instance, your age. How old could you be? And your favorite color, or flavor of ice cream, or whether or not you have a boyfriend... So many things."

"Well," Bella started, and Edward smiled at her name - Bella. It was perfect. "Well, I'm seventeen - eighteen in September - and my favorite color is brown, and I like chocolate ice cream. And I'm also single." She was blushing, and Edward relished in it. Who blushed anymore?

"I see," he replied, nodding sagely.

"If you want me to leave again, I can," Bella said, swimming back towards the dock. The way the sun was hitting her dark hair, it brought out the bits of red he had suspected were there.

"No, not at all!" Edward exclaimed. "I'd like you to stay, very much."

"All right," she said, but hung onto the dock, half pulling herself out of the water. She glanced at him over her shoulder, chewing her full, bottom lip thoughtfully. He wasn't sure why he didn't tell her to get the hell out of dodge, but the words refused to come out of his mouth. But he knew he was in trouble, in deep, if he didn't do something about this situation soon.

***

Let me know what you think. Thanks guys! Hope you enjoyed it. More to come, with lemons of course :]


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